Followers

For some things, it doesn’t matter what your goals are: if you’re going to send mass email, you’re going to need some basic things.

Make sure you know who in your organization will:

Manage your lists / be the database wrangler

Create or gather content – the text and images for your email

Design your email templates and graphics

Enter content, set it up and test the actual email

Read the test messages, proofread, edit and approve

Collect and analyze reports and metrics.

Make sure the tools you look at offer:

List Management Utilities. Make sure you have ways to add, remove and change email addresses by hand and a simple means to export your list regularly for back ups and use in other systems.

Automatic Unsubscribe. Make sure your constituents can unsubscribe themselves (for instance, by clicking on a link in their email) without going through you. You’re required by law to remove those who request it – don’t run the risk that one of your staff members overlooks an unsubscribe request

Solid Deliverability. Whether or not your emails are considered as spam depends on a lot of things, but the history and actions of your emailing vendor are a major factor. For more on what impacts deliverability, see Idealware’s A Few Good eNewsletter Tools article.

HTML and Text Versions. If you plan to send HTML emails (to allow text formatting or images) you will also need a way to send the text version for those people whose programs can’t read the HTML. Check to make sure your tool sends Multipart MIME type emails.

Test Emails. It should be easy to send test emails to your own test email accounts, to check formatting, links, and whether it hits the spam filter.

Documentation and Support. Regardless of other features selected, you’ll need a solid understanding of how to use them. Consider carefully what level and manner of documentation, training and support are offered by each vendor.

As you look at additional features, keep in mind that you don’t have to go with a high price package to take advantage of best practices. You might be able to use a less expensive system if you shop around for a tool that has only the features you will really use.

Apart from having a message to send, a reputable mail server to send it from, and a list of people to send it to, none of the above constitutes a “must have” for successful communications. The balance your particular organization strikes between tools and features, brainpower and the people to make use of them will depend on your mission and the part mass emails play in carrying it out.

And no set of features will make a successful email strategy. Having the staff time and training to create great content, build the right email list, and utilize reports wisely is more important than having a highly sophisticated tool set. The level of time and energy you invest in your email strategy is likely to be directly reflected in the success of your emails.

But considering what types of emails you are most likely to send can be a real help in determining priorities and the features that have real value to you. With some careful choices, you can find a tool that’s great for the things that matter: managing time and resources more wisely, improving the perception of your organization and deepening your relationship with your constituents, all without breaking your budget.

Are regularly scheduled updates – for instance, eNewsletters or emails promoting events, articles, or information – a key part of your email strategy? If so, you’ll want to consider features that provide more support for an ongoing process and potentially more effective emails.

List Management Features

Subscriptions Management. A feature that allows readers to sign themselves up on your website – as described above - becomes even more valuable if you are providing periodic updates. A comprehensive profile and preferences management area on your website, where subscribers can update their own information, creates a real efficiency in service management.

Anti-Spam Measures. Periodic updates often involve a high volume of email over time, which can make it more likely that your email will be flagged as spam. Find out how each vendor handles spam complaints, and whether they have special anti-spam certification options or relationships with major ISPs. Taking extra steps, like Double-Opt in (asking subscribers to confirm their subscription via email) can also reduce deliverablity problems. Even if you don’t need these features right now, choosing a vendor that offers them may be important in the future as your list size and general spam concerns continue to grow.

Managing Multiple Groups/Lists. If you have several program areas or distinct audiences you might wish to offer specific updates to each group or list individually. Some email tools allow your subscribers to chose from multiple newsletters or categories when signing up and let you to manage several groups from the same administrative interface

Administration Features

Asset Archives and Management. A system that allows you to easily store and reuse email templates, content and images can be a major timesaver. Having to import your logo and start from scratch each issue may not be a deal breaker, but it can build up to a substantial amount of time with frequent emails.

Message Building Features

Template System. Templates, as described above, are critical for eNewsletters and update emails. They not only help to maintain a consistent brand and streamline the creation process, but a clear cut structure (such as sections for “In the News” or “Volunteer Highlight”) makes it easier to develop content for each issue. You might want to invest in professional assistance to create your template initially to reduce the ongoing workload of generating each issue.

Web Version. It is difficult to ensure that complex emails show up properly for everyone, so it is highly recommended to offer email readers a web alternative. You can manually link your emails to a version you have posted on your website, or some vendors offer tools to automatically create and link to the web-version.

Forward to a Friend. “Forward to a Friend” features can encourage subscribers to pass your information on. This functionality allows readers to email or refer their colleagues to a clean version of the newsletter. Simply forwarding the email through a browser typically results in some mangling of the format and links.

Merging Personalized Data. Features that can automatically show personalized information such as the recipient’s name or their history with your organization help your newsletter feel more personal and less like junk mail.

Testing Features

Spam Filter. The ability to test individual messages against the rules for standard Spam filters allows you to craft your emails so that more of them end up in your constituent’s inbox. As spam filters increase in complexity, this feature will become more and more important.

Reporting Features

Click-Through Tracking (CTT). Because each newsletter typically contains many links, information about which links get the most clicks provides a valuable guide for future email content and design as well as general communications.

If your primary use for mass emails is to reach your whole list with communications such as letters from the Executive Director, press releases and simple event announcements, you likely won’t need a lot of complex features. But any email campaign can benefit from a few standard features that support your workflow, professional image and provide information about reader response.

List Management Features

Basic List Management. Don’t underestimate the task of adding new constituents to your email list and keeping everything up-to-date. Be sure to check out how easy it is to import a list, merge it with your existing list, and eliminate duplicate email addresses. Look at tools that allow you to store and manage the lists online, so you don’t have to import a list for each mailing. Many systems also offer automatic bounce handling, so as to remove bad email addresses after a certain number of bounces, for instance.

Website Integration. The ability to integrate opt-in signup and unsubscribe forms from your website to your email database can be very helpful – these forms grow your list organically, save you a great deal of time and ensure that your list is made up of those that truly want to receive your communications.

Administration Features

Clone/Duplicate Emails. The ability to duplicate a number of emails from one you have already set up seems like a minor feature, but can be very useful for sending slightly different versions of an email to a number of different segments.

Campaign Based/Consecutive Send Workflow. Many effective email campaigns include follow-up emails based on the supporters previous responses (or lack of response), such as a “last chance to participate” email to those who have not yet taken action. If this is part of your strategy, look for tools that allow you to define email recipients based on their response to previous emails, or even systems that support setting up multiple conditional or sequential emails at one time.

Message Building Features

Design Customization. The ability to control the design of your email varies widely from tool to tool. Consider whether the email template, web forms, and even items such as your “from” address are able to convey what you want to say about your organization.

WYSIWYG Content Editor. If you plan to send HTML emails, a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor lets your staff easily add and format the email text through a Word style administration area. This allows you to send out nicely formatted emails without special technical knowledge.

Testing Features

Basic Testing Workflow. Before sending that carefully crafted message to your list, you’ll need to test it to be sure it’s legible and functional. Emails should be sent to several accounts within your organization and test accounts at webmail services like Gmail and AOL) for proofreading, formatting and link checking. Check to see if the tools you are considering provide a failsafe, such as requiring message approval before you can send to the full list.

Reporting Features

Basic Reporting. You’ll never know if your email strategy is working unless you can collect and view information about each blast. Your Email tool should provide, at a minimum, reports on how many emails were delivered and how many were opened. Ideally you will be able to track items like unsubscribe requests and list growth as well.